Washing-machine



(No Model.)

y J. W. RICKER'.: WASHING MACHINE.

No. 593,856. Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

PATENT muon.

JOHN W.` RICKER, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

kWASHING.-

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,856, dated November16, 1897. Application filed January 13, 1897. VSerial No. 619,087. (Nomodel.)

ducing my'present invention is to improve upon the machines shown anddescribed in said Letters Patent.

My present improvement relates mainly to the -formation of the workingsurface of the master-roller and to the matter of covering or inclosin gthe outer ends of the smaller eX- treme rollers. e

The object of my present invention is to cause the master-roller toaetless harshly and p 2 2 in Fig. l.

scribed, and. more more softly upon the fabric of the clothes beingwashed and to keep the clothes more evenly distributed throughout thelength of the rollers; and a further object of the invention is toprovide cup-plates for receiving within cavities therein the outer endsof the smaller rollers to prevent the clothes from running between themand adjacent parts of the machine, and thus prevent the clothes whilebeing run through the machine being caught and held by said rollers.

The invention is hereinafter fully departicularly pointed out in theclaim. y

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedwashing-machine. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, the tub beinghorizontally sectioned as on the dotted line Fig. 3 is an end elevationof the device seen as indicated by arrow 3 in Fig. 1, the lower barbeing vertically sectioned on the dotted line at the point of the arrow.Fig. 4 is an elevation ofthe inner surface of a standard of the frameviewed as indicated by arrow 4 in Fig. l, the upper and lower horizontalbars being vertically sectioned as on the dotted line at the point ofthe arrow. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the cupplate for covering the endsof the rollers seen as indicated by arrow 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows themanner of covering the ends of the rollers, the plate being verticallysectioned through the axis of the roller. Fig. 7 is an end View of thelmaster-roller, showing the distribution of the studs thereon.

Figs. 6 and 7 are drawn full size, Figs. 4 and 5 are drawn to a scaleone-half size, and the remaining figures to a scale one-fourth size.

'Referring to the parts shown, A is the frame of the machine, itconsisting of upper and lower bars a and ZJ and standards c c. Thisframe is adapted to rest within the tub B, reaching diametrically acrossthe tub and held to place by fasteners CZ d, all substantially as shownand described in said Letters Patent No. 349,747. The frame is providedwith a series of relatively small oor or bed rollers c, Figs.'1 and 6,preferably arranged in three parallel rows just above the bar b, asshown in Fig. 4'. These rollers turn on horizontal rods f,having theirends held in the standards of thevframe, said rollers being fullydescribed and shown in the Letters Patent No. 200,220. A pair ofhorizontal rods, one of which is shown at g, Fig. l, reaches between thestandards c c, being secured ine the latter, which rods hold a serie'sof supports or yokes h for the shafts of the bed-rollers, all of whichare fully shown and described in said Letters Ratent.

Above the bed-rollers and between the standards rests a master-roller C,Figs. l, 2,

and 7, to coact with said bed-rollers, held upon a shaft i, extendingthrough vertical slots k,'Figs. 3 and 4, in the standards c c. The shaft'i is substantially without rigid bearings, but is adapted to moveupward or downward in the slots in the standards as the clothes passingthrough between the rollers are greater orless in bulk. Themasterterroller is turned by a crank D in the usual manner, secured tothe shaft c'.

' The mastenroller C in my present inventionis preferably a plaincylindrical piece of wood,

provided with a series of studs o, having large button-heads and pins p,Fig. 7, tobeA driven into the roller. These heads are preferably ofrubber, and hemispherical in form, and the studs are placed in twelve(more or less) longitudinal rows along the convex surface of the roller.The studs arev separate and independent of each other, and areremovable, so as to be replaced by new ones when the old ones are wornout. The yielding nature of the rubber heads causes the master-roller toact softly upon the fabric of the clothes being washed, and there islittle or no tendency in its action to pull buttons O of the clothes. Inusing the wooden grooved or uted roller bu-ttons are liable to be caughtin the grooves, and so be detached from the cloth.

The standards c c of the frame are provided with plates E, Figs.1,4,5,and 6, resting against theirinnersurfaces. These plates are formedwith shallow circular cups o for the vpurpose of receiving within themand covering the outer ends of the extreme bed-rollers, as clearly shownin Fig. 6. The cups, covering the'en ds of the rollers, eifectuallyprevent the clothes while passing through the machine from run-ning overthe ends of these rollers and becoming caught between them and thestandards. This is very important, as by means of these plates theclothes pass freely through between the rollers without being caught orotherwise held. The plates are also formed with parts or rests s, Figs.3 and 5, to project into the slots 7.: 7.; at the bottoms thereof toform bearings for the shaft z' when at its lowest position.

These rests serve to hold the master-roller so the heads of the studsshall just clear or only touch the bed-rollers when there are no clothesin the machine. This prevents the heads ofthe studs becoming worn byrubbing against the bed-rollers on account of the turning of themaster-roller when there is'no fabric between it and the bedfrollers tokeep the parts separated. The bands Z Z act to continually pull themaster-roller downward, and if no stops were provided to con trol it thestuds would be brought irmly against the bed-rollers in the absence ofanything to separate them, on account of which the studs l might becomeinjured.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- A washing-machine having a slottedframe and a series of bed-rollers in the frame, and a master-roller oversaid bed-rollers to coact with the latter, and means for turning themaster-roller, in combination. with plates having cups or cavities uponone surface at one end in which to receive and to cover the eX- tremeends of the bed-rollers, and a rest upon the opposite surface of theother end, said rest projecting into the slot of the frame and sorelated to the cavities that the surfaces of the respective rollers journaled therein cannot touch each other substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

Inwitness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 7th day of January,1807, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN V. RICKER.

Witnesses:

ENOS B. WHITMORE, M. L. WINsToN.

